Introduction to Your First Fund

You need to know how to evaluate funds so that you can answer five key questions:

• How has it performed?
• How risky has it been?
• What’s in its portfolio?
• Who’s in charge?
• How much does it cost?

Those are questions you need to be able to answer whether you’re choosing your first or your thirty-first fund. (Yes, some people own that many.)

When selecting your first stock fund, though, you need to focus on a few additional, specific things. Why? Because for some of you, your first fund may be your only fund—or your only fund for awhile.

Here are the qualities to look for in your first fund.